Adjustable rail brace



April 18, 1950 A. F. HUBER ETAL. 2,504,838

ADJUSTABLE RAIL BRACE Filed May 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w I 42 79 4'5 44 AUQFQT FWFB ER BY CHARLES E. GODFREY mmmmm 7 0 ATTORNEYS April 18, 1950 HUBER ETAL 2,504,838

ADJUSTABLE RAIL BRACE Filed May 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L if I {+27 [gm l2, m.

ALBERT F. HUBER BY CHARLES E. GODFREY WWJAM+ Ca/Jwm ATTO R N EYS Registered Apr. 18, 1950 PATENT- o ADJUSTABLE RAIL BRA'GE .Albert F. Huber, Chicago, andGharles E; Godfrey,

Batavia, Ill .assignors to American Brake Shoe .Compana N w York or ratio f Application May 1-7 '1946,-Serial No.16i70i553 09 only i ei r Q s l-"acin the ie v' a lwa s nd. other-places. subject to ,thrust.

use-comp exes a stationary .wedge'block atsesir and a movable wedg block connected ,byabqlt nds-n t embe Il-ehte n o the bo ia t o iehten the else:- :1 S chv r s :e v s s- Yo aThe -ia e a so vi si-m ve si nd a e tel -ad us e or w Wh -rafl r e s mth it c ona enditor n he e.th bglt is allystrongaenou-gh; to; prevent shiftingoi thewdgblocks and the assembly either, acts" s; 11. :ent eepewr-fihe stefik-se l by e H owever, these :Iaraces; are obj ectionable .5 1 ievent e r relate ioaadiu tebl ail trace l l a th yo t y held he; il; n ea :ae inb the e h ustinl-that longitudinal creepage action of the stock rail m. the-other direction often tightens :the-

edg t s--perm tt n he: ql oa e e se h nn ng the'principal objects of the invention is to provide such a rail bracelwhich'is 'inexpene sivei-tq build, simple; 1703111513211 and: adjust, effectivedn operation, ancl -capableo f retaining its; adjustment --regardless.-ofdirection of forces;

causedgby trackomepage action.

The inventionalso-consists in -certain;new and tieinal ,fea ures an -co binat ns.he e na e to becharacteristic of. this invention willbe par-Z veatases a h mann r ni ha ay e" carried out, may be better understood byr efer-l ring tothefifqllowing descriptionE taken in coneet n he a com in draw n -"ferminga part hereof, ,inyrhich F'gl 1're; resenj's a side elevation ofgthebrace imposition;

n line -1 1 I pa ts b i keaa n-1 ionconvenience, but they are intended'to'be as a 3: a i a are e lw e tion lie-followi e rip i nd v c a ms. ari u d tai l b id ntifiedrby specifionam s.

fi Qlaims. J01. 2558:2523).

" l b a e t T ra is sh wn-used] 2 a go-nventlonal railway tie Ill, Thelslide plate l i fiwhich broadly speaking; may also be termed; a ti plate has a recessed seat providinga she 5 ee nstwn c t he. a e 5 of! e ,v abuts, and a second-shoulder l1 aagainst "W h.

in cqnpection with aswitch, the movablees witch point l8 being-indicated in; closed-'position d s p sed-a ains rail head e s t h i t" is1 s oews1 de t I l i en he sw h as -will be ,-understood by those skilled in the tart,

vThe ad st :rail b a e co r es n gene al:- two backers or blocks 1'9 and, 2!] welded to-the ela e! a d c n t tutin z-i e ect -l t ne x wed e e eme to a m v b e. w ds ment or block-23 abutting therail tl an Mandiut 25 f di s ins h ace-1.

The sta a i a mber- 9 hasan e r-:

t-need; sub n a -.1 ne u. l e e d n ope i =21 e n h-a 1 -6;end the stationaryebloelg member 120- ihas aan enlarged,

opening 25 these aligned openings=accommoda-t-,-. ing the L-bolt 24, as explained-hereinafter. The stationary-wedge block I 9, ZD 'has a wall portion 29 Sflthaving a vertical Wedging surfacesup: ported by--a :base portion indicated in ggeneralg by 3;] disposed againstplate shoulder 17.

,'I}he movable Wedge block 2 3 has a vertical,

wedging'surfaee 33zcooperating with-wedgewalls;

29, -38 and also. a toe-portion 34- disposed under;

23; has a side and bottom surface fitting respecttlyelythe-w'ebgt l and basegl5 of the pra-ilgand a clearance space 35 between upper andi lowets'ir; 11- contactin portions.

-nqtneneage-the :rail head I13.

generic'in theirapplicationas the art will-permit: 7

Like reference characters ,denoterlike ,parts, in the several figures of the drawlngs.

In the drawings accompanying and forming pa o this sneeifis t ea. eertelespecific disclosure of the invention is made forpurposes of explanation,- but it will "be understood that the details may be modified in various respects with- I out uretem theihrped sneet'v f the ventiqlk.

,Themovable wedge block 23 has a transversely extending opening .31 in which the head 39 0!.

bolt-2A- snugly fits. Bolt 24 also has-a threaded shank, gtflzlooselyjpassingthrough holes 2;! :andsZB; '"Thestationarywedgeblock members J9 and 10; are so "spaced :as to snugly 'accommodateatanje ada-g justingnut zithreaded onshank38;

The stationary Wedge blocks l9, ZO-are seep cured to the tie plate 1! :by fillet "WfildS: located :at, the trans-verse sides of bothblock members, These blocks.

as indicated at 42, 43 and 44, 45. area1s0-integrally secured to tie plate H by J- welds 46, 4'1, thecorners of the blocks being cut away to wform recesses to accommodate' theseln use, the stationary 'wedg'ejblock; members};

H1, '2!) are appliedto the tie plate H asindicate(1 :1

the L-bolt; is placed in the movable'wedge block hole 3i' andthe movable wedge block 23 and- -bolt .2 ar laced nsen it ve ith th 1 117015 d seased. b t ee .ithesta narywed e c to I receive the L-lo t '4 V'lh xnensniteble t :1

Themovablewedgeablock The movable block. '231d0es 3 against the stock rail l2. The position illustrated isla typical normal position when the brace is first installed and tightened.

It will be noted that the slot 26 provides ample space for accommodating the head 39 of the L-bolt to permit the wedge to be tightened to take up any wear which occurs during use. The wedging surfaces of the blocks tightly force the movable block against the stock rail [2 and the toe 34 engaging under the wedge portions 29 and 30 acts to hold down the movable block and, through it, the base flange of the stock rail. Al-

rail in said seat against one of said shoulders, a stationary wedge block comprising spaced wedge members seated in said seat against said other shoulder, said stationary wedge members having vertical wedge surfaces, aligned openings, and lower shoulders, an L-bolt having a threaded shank disposed in said aligned openings, a nut between said'wedge members and threaded on said shank, a movablewedge block having a vertical wedge surface engaging said first wedge surfaces, a rail contacting surface engaging the base flange and web but not the head of said though the shank 33 of the L-bolt fits loosely in the stationary wedge member holes 27 and 28, there is a tight fit between bolt head 39 and movable block hole 31 and between the nut 25 and the stationary block members l9 and 20 on either side. These ti ht-fitting parts insure holding the movable wedge block 23 in proper relationship to the stationary wedge block I9, 20, regardless of any longitudinal movement of the stock rail !2 in either direction tending to either loosen or tighten the movable block 23.

Thus an adjustable rail brace is provided which overcomes the disadvantages of 'prior braces of this type while retaining the advantages of such prior type. It is easily and accurately adjusted for wear and prevents shifting of the movable block in either direction caused by creepage of the stock rail due to expansion or contraction, or movement of trafiic, or other reason.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adjustable rail brace, a wedge element adapted to be secured to a tie plate or the like, said wedge element having a wedge surface, a substantially longitudinally-extending bolt opening and an intermediate recess; a rail-contacting member having a wedge surface engaging said a wedge surface engaging said first wedge surface 7 and a transverse opening; an L-bolt having a head snugly fitting said transverse opening and a shank loosely fitting said bolt hole, and a nut on said shank located between the opposite walls ofsaid recess.

'3. In a rail brace, a stationary wedge block comprising spaced wedge members adapted to be secured to a tie plate or the like, said stationary wedge members having a wedge surface andv aligned openings, an L-bolt having a threaded shank disposed in said aligned openings, a nut between said Wedge members and threaded on said shank, a movable wedge block having a wedge surface engaging said first wedge surface, a rail contacting surface adapted to engage the rail, and an opening in which the L-shaped head of said bolt is disposed.

4. In a rail brace construction, a tie plate having a recessed seat with opposed shoulders, a

rail, and having an opening in which the L-shaped head of said bolt is disposed; said movable block having, a horizontally extending toe disposed under said lower shoulders, the lower inner longitudinal edge of said stationary wedge members having recesses, welding securing the transverse edges of said stationary block members to said tie plate, and welding in said recess securing said wedge members to said tie plate.

5, An adjustable rail brace comprising a wedge element having a wedge surface and adapted to be secured to a tie plate or the like, a movable wedge element having a wedge surface cooperating with said first wedge surface and having a portion engaging the rail, a bolt member and a nut member thereon for drawing said wedge elements into tightening engagement, said bolt member having a part non-rotatably and longitudinally locked to one of said wedge elements,

said other wedge element having spaced abutments between which said'nut member acts to provide rotatableinterlocking engagement therewith, whereby to prevent relative movement between said wedge elements in both directions hole; a rail contacting member having a wedge surface engaging said first wedge surface, a bolt member having a shank loosely fitting said bolt hol t, a nut member on said shank for exerting thrust against the opposite walls of said recess,

' and a transversely extending member connecting said bolt member and said rail contacting member.

'7. In an adjustable rail brace, a wedge element adapted to be secured to a tie plate or the like, said wedge element having a wedge surface,

a substantially longitudinally-extending bolt hole,

saidbolt hole; a rail contacting member having a wedge surface engaging said first wedge surface, a bolt member having a shank loosely fit- ;,.ting said bolt hole, a nut member on said shank UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

1,126,521 Liebmann .Jan. 26, 1915 1 682,887 Coleman Sept. 4, 1928 f 76 2,036,200 Eastburn Apr. '7, 1936 f for exerting thrust against the opposite walls of said recess, and a transversely extending member connecting said bolt member and said railand disposable in said slot.

contacting member 1 ALBERT F. HUBER. CHARLES E. GODFREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

